Judith Waciarz Grunberg

Judith Waciarz Grunberg was born in Poland. She was intelligent, energetic and very interested in political and social causes. She became a teacher and hoped to live a happy life. Hitler and the Holocaust took away her dreams and sent her to Auschwitz. She survived those unspeakable horrors. After the war, she was sent to a displaced persons camp in Austria, where she met and married Irving Grunberg. They came to America, settled in Queens and had two daughters, Eva and Ruth. Judith looked forward and tried to enjoy the beautiful things in life. She taught her daughters the importance of education, and always found opportunity to enjoy the cultural riches of NY City. She lived in New Canaan, CT for the last 15 years to be near her grandchildren. She wanted to be involved in their lives and give them the love of a grandmother, something not available to her own daughters. She was very proud of Eva, who became a pediatrician. She knew you shouldn't get a medical degree, then stay home as a full time mom and not use your training. The combination of a working mom, a nanny, and a grandmother who made sure the nanny was OK was an acceptable alternative to the 50's full time mom that she was. Alzheimer's took away short term memory, but my mother never forgot the people who she loved and doted on Josh and Rebecca until the end.